Corn-heading machine



M. E. KIRKPATHICK.

CORN HEADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man mi. s. |916.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

INVENTOR M2222? EZWQQQM WITNESSES ATTORNEY 'ma COLUMBIA PLANoonAr-M C0.. WAlMlNaToN, u. c.

M. E. KIRKPATRICK.

comu HEADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 19|6.

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'MARION E. KIRKPATRICK, OF APACHE, OKLAHOMA.

CORN-HEADING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, "1`919.

Application filed April 5, 1916. Serial No. 89,207.

ToaZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MARION E. KIRK- PAEI'RIGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Apache, in the county of Caddo and lState of Oklahoma, have invented certain new ,and useful Improvements in Corn- Heading Machines, of which the following is a-specification.

This invention relates to harvesters `and more particularly to an improved corn topping .for heading machine.

n The primary :object of the invention is to provide a harvester of the type described, whereby Kafir corn, broom corn and sorghum may .be headed or topped without doing material injury tothe stalk, and also so severing the top as to leave the stalk stand- 1-n,

nother important characteristic of the invention, residesin the provision of means whereby the heading mechanism may be so adjusted as to accommodate stalks of varying heights thus enabling the harvester to be used under varying conditions.

. It is also ,contemplated by the invention to provide the construction with endless carriers, oneof the said .carriers being moved ,at a greater rate of speed than the remaining carrier, consequently allowing the tops to be uniformly laid before they are introduced into the thresher.

VThe annexed drawings and the following description, set forth in `detail certain mech anism embodying the invention, such disclosed means however constituting but one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improved header as applied to a thresher;

Fig. 2 is a top plan;

Fig. 3 is `a section on the line 3 3 kof Fig. 1 y

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the ele# ments used for adjusting the header to accomrnodate stalks of varying heights.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof, I pro vide -a .supporting frame 1, -the said frame being mounted `upon forward :and ,rear wheels 2 and .v3 and having :arranged upon one portion thereof, a ,threshing `machine :as at 4. To provide for means whereby the forward end of the -thresher may be braced for a purpose `which will be subsequently apparent, I provide an angle bracket or standard as at .15, securing one end thereof to a portion of the thresher as at 6., while the remaining end iis secured ,to the frame l as at 7. The .thresher is .also provided with 'a conventional forni of feeding hopper 8, which ,contains suitable feeding mechanism driven by the shafting 9 and 1'0, which shafting is mounted in suitable bearings adjacent said hopper.

Referring now tothe present invention, it may be said that the same comprises a supporting frame designated in its entirety at 11. This frame includes a base portion 12 which `portion has secu-red thereto a vertically disposed supporting and division plate 13, one end of the plate being cut away as -at 14 and recessed as `at15while the remaining lend is also ,provided with a cutaway portion 16. Vertically supported shaft bearings 17 `and 18 are secured to the opposite ends of said plate 13, as at 19 and 20. j-Arranged within these shaft bearings 17 and 18 and extending through suitable openings arranged in the opposite lend of the supporting base 12, as at 21 and 22, are shafts 23 and 24, which shafts have keyed to their upper eX- tremities sprocket wheels 25 and .26, while keyed thereto adjacent their lower extremities are ,sprocket wheels 27 and 28, it being noted, these sprocket wheels are of less diameter than the wheels 25 and 26. The shaft 24 is ,provided with an elongated portion, which portion has aflixed thereto a beveled gear 29, which gear meshes with a similar gear 30 carried upon :the driving shaft 31 journaled in suitable bearings 32 branched in a supporting bracket 33, carried by the base portion 12 and in alinement with the said shaft 24, having a suitable opening to allow the elongated extension of said shaft to be' passed therethrough. The vertically disposedsupporting and division plate 13 has affixed thereto by supporting blocks 34 a similarly disposed plate 34 provided with openings 35, whereby a portion of the sprocket wheels 27 and 28 may be introduced therethrough. This plate .34 serves as effiother suitable cient means for supporting the tops as severed from the stalks and also serves to brace the conveyers throughout their travel which construction will be hereinafter described. Secured to the outer marginaledge of the base 12 is a second vertically disposed guidingplate. 34, the ksame being constructed from bendable metal and provided with an offset arm portion 34". Arranged `about the larger sprocket wheels 25 and 26 is a sprocket chain 37, .which sprocket chainV has secured thereto, laterallyfextended fingers 38, the saine being arranged thereuponat'spaced intervals to provide Vfor substantially pocketlike members. -The smaller sprocket wheels 27 and 28 have arranged thereabout a second sprocketV chain 39, which kchain is con'- structed in exact -accordancefwith the chain 37,7 exceptfor the fact that the same is of less length. 'y Y In order that meansmay'be yprovided for whereby the corn tops may be severed from the'stalks, I k'eyto the shaft 23, adjacent Vits lower extremity, a collar 40 which collar is provided with a laterally extendingV annular flange 41. Secured to this flange 41 are a plurality of cutting knives 42, the saine being 'held in fixed Vrela-tionby, means of rivets 43 or `vother similarffastening devices. It will also benoted thattheforward end of the conveying chain is4 provided witha severing bladea43" as illustrated in Fig. 5.

To preventthe, heads `from falling when first engaged by the gathering and conveying means, I secure to the plates 34 by ,bracket members 44,:a tapering guide `plate 45, the saidbracket members'44 being secured 'to 'n the plate 34 as at Q46 and to [the Aguide plate as at 47 .y Thus it will be obvious when the corn is first engaged by the header theV guide plate 45, will serve as eh'icient means for holding the samein a substantially vertical position, in order that the` conveying thereof may be facilitated, as well as the cutting or severing action. Y

`A b'racket'or supporting member 48 is secured to the forward end of the l"threshing machine, the bracket connection being designated as at 49." Suitable Vjournals .are' ar'- ranged in the forward vend of the bracket arm, whereby the driving shaft 31 maybe supported for pivotal movement.

Y Referring now tov the ydriving or operating mechanismV and to the 'means whereby"thev header construction may be vadjusted tol accommodate stalks Vof varioussizes, Ipropose to mount upon the frame 1, an engine 50'or is connected v,with the drive wheelof the engine and l'extendsV forward into engage- Y ment with a driving wheel Y52 keyed to the outer' extremity of the 'driving' vshaft 31. Upon rotation of` thefdriving shaft 31 throughthe medium of the prime mover 50, it will be apparent that the shaft 24 will,

prime mover. Beit gearing 51 by reason its gearing with said shaft 31 be rotated, causing the sprocket wheels 25 and 27 to be rotated,.which motion will be imparted to the sprocket chains 37 and 39 and in turn, to the sprocket wheels 26 and 28, whereupon the cutting knives 42 will be rotated, and, of course, when brought into engagement with corn stalks, will efficiently serve to sever the heads thereof, therefrom. As to the adjusting means, a quadrant 53V is secured to one side oftheframe 1' as at 54, having associated therewith, the usual pivotally mounted lever 55,'carrying a sliding pawl 56 adapted to be engaged with` the various seats or notches'on the curved mar-y ginal edge yof quadrant. Pivotally secured to the lever 55 asoat 57 is a rod 58, which',

rod extends into ypivotal engagement with u the adjusting element 59, as at 60. This adjusting element comprises a horizontal body portion or bai-,61 rotatably supported .by` a apertured lugs or bearings 62 upon the base f 1. One end of the rod 61 is bent at right angles thereto to affordga substantially vertical arm 63,-while the remaining lend of the rod 61 is'also bent upwardly'at an angleto `provide the offset arm 64. A connecting link operator desirek to ad forwardly or backwardly uponv its pivot, Y

whereupon the adjusting element 59 willv be oscillated, causing 'the Vsaid heading,v

mechanism, through the medium vof the con# necting link 65, to be raised' or lowered, de pending upon the motion 'of the Voperating member 55. VVhenthe desired yadjustment has been obtained, the sliding pawl 56 carried by the lever is then moved into `engageinent with one ofthe quadrant teeth, thus affording `means whereby the.v said heading mechanism maybe maintained in the `adjusted position.

In reviewing the operation of the structure, it will be noted as vthe frame 1 is drawn along, the fingers 38 upon the sprocket chains or conveyers 37 and 39 will engage the heads of the stalks whereupon the rotating cutting knives 42 will sever the heads from the stalks. When severed,xthe

ViioV tops will be carried upwardly and back.- Y

wardly causing the tops tobe efficiently fed into the hopper 8 of the threshing machine'.

Other modes of applying theprincipleV of ,4

my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change beingmade. as

regards the mechanism herein disclosed,pro vided theV means stated bythe following claim or the equivalent of such stated vmeans be employed.

I, therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention In a device of the class described, the combination of a supporting machine, a supporting frame carried by said machine and consisting of a base, drive shafts extending vertically from said base, means for rotating said shafts, a division plate having vertical bearings directly secured upon its, ends and engaging the saild shafts for steadying said shafts, said division plate being carried by said base, whereby the plate and shafts will reinforce each other, said division plate having cut away portions at its ends communieating with said base and directly Ibelow said bearings, a recess portion extending inwardly beyond one of the cut away portions, a knife carried upon one shaft and extending into the recessed portion, sprockets carried by said shaft and ext-ending abovesaid plate and also into said cut away portion, conveyor chains passing around said sprockets, a supporting plato extending parallel to said first mentioned plate, blocks secured to the first mentioned plate and to the second mentioned plate for properly supporting the second mentioned plate from the first mentioned `plate and a guide plate xed upon said base and extending parallel to said second mentioned plate thus forming a restricted passage between the second mentioned plate and the guide plate to prevent stalks being conveyed from falling over and clogging the device.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARION E. KIRKPA'IRICK. Vitnesses:

A. C. DoLF, W. F. CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. C. l 

